Open Access research that is exploring the innovative potential of sustainable design solutions in architecture and urban planning...

Research activity at Architecture explores a wide variety of significant research areas within architecture and the built environment. Among these is the better exploitation of innovative construction technologies and ICT to optimise 'total building performance', as well as reduce waste and environmental impact. Sustainable architectural and urban design is an important component of this. To this end, the Cluster for Research in Design and Sustainability (CRiDS) focuses its research energies towards developing resilient responses to the social, environmental and economic challenges associated with urbanism and cities, in both the developed and developing world.

Abstract

The UK's digital economy is growing, 2013 saw 53% more companies form compared to 2010. It was estimated that the digital economy's gross added value was 6% of the total UK economy. The increasing rate of technological innovations requires the UK's workforce to be able to continually improve their skills to prepare them for emerging roles in their individual fields. The increasing demand for digitally skilled employees and the "move to 'Digital by Default' online government services implies directly that citizens should have, by 'default', a set of digital skills to enable them to access these services" (page 12). However, it is important to remember that the digital skills of ‘innovators’ need to be improved, and not just those of the 'user'.